Braskem and the Brazilian Paralympic Committee renew their sponsorship to the Brazilian Para-athletics Team for another four years, with the objective of supporting the development and technical preparation of para-athletes, in a partnership begun in 2015. With this, the company will support the Brazilian para-athletics in various national and international competitions, as well as in the Paralympic Games of Japan, in 2020. This is the biggest private sponsorship in the history of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee.

"Braskem maintains its support for Paralympic sport because it believes it is a transformative opportunity for para-athletes and an inspiring example for society. We believe in the human being overcoming, and these athletes are an example of that. In addition, the partnership reinforces our belief that chemistry and plastic improve people's lives", says Marcelo Arantes, Vice-president of Individuals, Communication, Marketing and Sustainable Development at Braskem.

In Brazilian para-athletics, plastic has a practical application, as it is present in the composition of the prostheses, making them lighter and more comfortable to the athletes' legs. The sponsorship will benefit 44 athletes and 17 guides that integrate the Brazilian team, divided between main and juvenile teams, in the track and field events.

In July, 25 of the country's competitors will compete for the World Championship at the Olympic Stadium in London, where the Brazilians won 18 gold medals at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The national team will be rocked by the incredible performance achieved at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, when they climbed to the podium 33 times, eight of them on the highest step.

"The partnership with Braskem has already brought us great results in the Paralympic Games of Rio 2016 and will be key in this campaign towards Tokyo 2020. It shows that Braskem and CPB work with planning, anticipating the actions to reach the goals, which, in the current cycle, begins at this World Championships in London, in July", says Mizael Conrado, president of the Brazilian Paralympic Committee.

The call for the best was made this morning, Thursday 8th, on the indoor track of the Paralympic Training Center, on Rodovia dos Imigrantes, in São Paulo.

One of those invited is Thiago Paulista, from São Paulo. With a leg amputated after a motorcycle accident, he is now the world record holder in the discus throw, which is the competition in which he is expected to represent Brazil in London, in July. "The Rio 2016 Games showed the strength of the Paralympic sport in Brazil and the maintenance of Braskem is a great example. The partnership transmits tranquility for the athletes to tread the path of victory", comments Paulino.

In August this year, new para-athletics talents will compete in the first edition of the World Youth Championship in the Swiss city of Notwill, near Lucerne. It may represent the beginning of a path towards the Paralympic podium in Tokyo 2020.

The Brazilian para-athletics team will still play the South American Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2018, the Parapan-American Games in Lima, and the World Championship in 2019, and finally the Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020.

About Braskem
Braskem is the largest producer of thermoplastic resins in the Americas, with an annual volume of more than 20 million tons, including the production of other basic chemicals and petrochemicals, with annual revenues of R$ 54 billion. Braskem operates in more than 70 countries, has more than 8 thousand members and operates 41 industrial units, located in Brazil, the USA, Germany and Mexico, in order to improve people's lives, creating sustainable chemical and plastic solutions, the latter in partnership with the Mexican Company named Idesa.

About the Brazilian Paralympic Committee
The Brazilian Paralympic Committee (CPB) is the entity that governs the Paralympic sport in Brazil. It represents and leads the movement in the country, seeking the promotion and development of high-performance sports for people with disabilities. The CPB is the participation of the athletes from the country in continental, world competitions and Paralympic Games. The Committee currently serves as the confederation, organizing the competition calendar of five modalities: athletics, swimming, weightlifting, wheelchair fencing and shooting sports.